


In Reverse

by momoai (directorenno)



Category: Free!
Genre: Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, MomotoriWeek15, Porn Magazines, Reverse Chronology, Sickfic, Snow Day, captain nitori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3323963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/directorenno/pseuds/momoai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Momo and Ai's story told from the finish to the start.</p><p>day seven: “It's freezing,” Ai shivers, just as Momo exclaims, “It's snowing!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Between the Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Day one of Momotori Week! ^3^ I'll try to post all the chapters in time and I hope you enjoy! This is still unbeta-ed, which is something I will get to once Momotori Week is over. Constructive criticism and comments are always welcomed!

It's nothing more than some kisses inside the confines of their shared room when classes are over, nothing more. It's nothing more than physical attraction, it'll fade eventually; nothing more than a peck on Ai's lips and a brush of fingertips against his side whenever they feel like it. Nothing more. Sometimes they share a bed, but only because Momotarou fell asleep in Ai's bunk _again_ and Ai's too tired to make Momotarou move. It's a silent agreement, whatever it is. And it's only between friends, a very pragmatic friendship between two close friends. Ai knows this. Knows that he shouldn't look for what is not there when a hand grips onto his waist and a nose nuzzles into the back of his neck. It's nothing, really.

 

But Ai is pretty good at reading between the lines and Momotarou never really mastered the finesse that is subtlety. (What if it's there?)

 

“A-ah, I'm not sure, Momo,” he'll say, but Momotarou will flash him his teeth and give his hand a squeeze and the next thing they're sending morse code messages into space, hoping for aliens; plucking fruit from the road and running from the farmer's watch dog, hand in hand and giggling; counting stars late at night (on the rooftop! – after curfew!) and the next day painting their mystery onto the canvas Momo bought.

 

Next thing they're kissing, fingers digging deep into the other's skull and holding on tight, so tight, until Ai's breathing is hard and he can feel his heartbeat (maybe Momo's?) thrum inside his throat. “Momo,” he'll say, “I'm not so sure.” Momotarou will stare at him with those bright, bright, golden eyes of his, flash him his teeth and squeeze Ai's cheeks in his hands; will say something stupid like “trust me”, or “we can stop if you want to” and nothing else will matter. They'll kiss some more.

 

Ai thinks Momo makes him do crazy things, but Momo makes sure he does them smiling.

 

It's the way Momotarou waits every morning until Ai's out of the shower and they can leave for breakfast together, Momo gazing at the clear sky with his hands folded lazily against the back of his neck. Or the way he helps Captain Nitori clean the pool after practice, or asks Ai to head into town with him during the weekend with that big, stupid grin of his when it's still only Monday. Momo explains that someone else could ask Ai out throughout the week and take his spot, that he likes to make sure.

 

Ai can tell by how effortlessly Momo sifts through titles as well. The way he calls him Captain during practice (always, always shouting “Captain, Captain, look at me” shamelessly before he throws him that wide, toothy grin and proceeds to bump his head into the side of the pool again), and Senpai in any other situation. “Nitori-senpai! Nitori-senpai! Nitori-senpai!” as he slings an arm around Ai's shoulder and drags him into his plans for mischief.

 

Momo only ever calls him Ai when they're alone, when the door is closed and the air is soft. Sometimes it's when Ai's tending to one of Momo's scraped knees and his voice will be hoarse and his eyes focused. Momo's only rarely meek, but when they're like this, together yet not, Ai thinks Momo's intensity is fanned by meek embarrassment. Other times he'll call out Ai's name between kisses, hungrily grabbing for air just to chant Ai's name in whispers against his jaw. There is no meekness then, only need and want and Ai's name.

 

Ai can hear it in the way they fight, too.

 

Whenever Momo crosses a line or gets... the way Momo is sometimes prone to get and Ai's eyes roll back into his skull with annoyance; whenever they shout because one of them is in a sour mood, because Ai threw Momo's beetles out again and “really, how many times must I tell you it's unacceptable behavior?” or “how many times must I tell you that I don't want bugs in my room?” They're mean to each other, sometimes; other times they ignore each other.

 

More often than not it is Momo who will bring him a peace offering (a can of his favorite soda, a piece of leftover cake from dinner, a terribly drawn sketch of the two of them, a cleaned corner of the room, …) because it's silly to be fighting and they should forget about it. Why were they fighting anyways? The next morning Momo will wait until Ai's out of the shower and peck him on the lips cheekily (needy, reassuringly) and they'll head to breakfast together.

 

It's nothing. Not really. Ai should know this. But every action has him guessing and hoping and hearing the words in his head.

 

Ai tries to keep up with Momotarou, tries to say the words back. He says them by indulging Momo when he concocts his next master plan. He says them by letting Momo name one of his beetles Nitori and invites Momo out to go collect more. He says them by kissing Momo's scraped knee once he's finished with it, and letting his hands run up and down Momotarou's calves. He says the words by drying Momo's hair – because Momo doesn't believe in the use of towels, apparently – and combing through any knots after.

 

Sometimes when they fight and Momo claims he doesn't understand why and he's being stubborn about it because he _knows_ he didn't do anything wrong this time, Ai will say the words by cleaning his bed and preparing a movie, anxiously waiting for Momo to take the peace offer. Other times he'll say the words by saying sorry and hoping Momo will forgive him this bout of unreasonableness too because he knows that Momo didn't do anything wrong this time too. 

 

(It's a much better deal than telling Momo that he is jealous, that he doesn't like Momo gushing over Kou even though there's supposed to be nothing but friendship between Momotarou and himself. Just friendship. No more. It's difficult to convince his heart of this when he slips into bed next to a supposedly sleeping Momotarou and lets his body be drawn against Momo's warmer one.)

 

Ai doesn't think he always gets the words out right. 

 

So he decides to do something about it.

 

It's on one of those nights when Ai's working on his homework and Momotarou falls asleep in Ai's bunk _again_ (Aiichirou used to keep count, but he stopped a while ago) that he repeats the words once more. It's late and Ai's too tired to wake Momo and make him move, so he slips in right next to the body in his bed and waits until an arm comes snaking around his waist. It's the routine they've fallen into. Momo's fingers find his own and they entwine, making them hold hands as Momo crawls closer to warm Ai's freezing toes. 

 

Ai feels warm and fuzzy and somehow the words just slip right out of his chest.

 

“I really like you,” he whispers.

 

Momo squeezes his hand and presses a silly, toothy grin of a kiss into the back of Ai's neck.

 

“I really like you too.”

 


	2. Swim Club Goods (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He has that look in his eyes too, that stubborn little glint that means he won't yield, not this time. Momo recognizes it as the look Ai has when one of Momo's ideas pushes his comfort zone a bit too much, when one of Momo's proposals is just that little bit too much; and he realizes he won't win this argument. So he relents.
> 
> “Fine,” he says, “but only if you'll let me nurse you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day two: sick day

“Are you cold?” Momotarou asks from the bottom bunk he's currently claimed as his own, dropping his toy soldiers to focus on the other boy, seated at his desk. Aiichirou stills but refuses to turn his head.

 

“No,” he replies, voice a little thick and queasy, “why?”

 

“You've been shivering for a while now - ” “Have not.” _“- non-stop_ , senpai. Are you sick?”

 

Ai's shoulders stiffen and the shivering almost subsides.  _“No_ , _”_ he replies, but Momo is already up and about, placing his palm against Ai's forehead.

 

“You're boiling! Why didn't you say anything?” Momo asks and turns Ai's chair around so they're facing each other. Ai's gaze is sharp and his lips are pouting angrily.

 

“It's just a small fever!” he exclaims, crossing his arms, which Momo ignores as he turns to scramble through his things.

 

“We should call a doctor!”

 

“It's _just_ a small fever, Momo!” he says heatedly, “It'll be over before you know it.”

 

“But -” “No!” 

 

Momo halts and turns to look at Ai, who's looking at him angrily and seemingly sticking his foot down on the subject. He has that look in his eyes too, that stubborn little glint that means he won't yield, not this time. Momo recognizes it as the look Ai has when one of Momo's ideas pushes his comfort zone a bit too much, when one of Momo's proposals is just that little bit too much; and he realizes he won't win this argument. So he relents.

 

“Fine,” he says, “but only if you'll let me nurse you.”

 

Ai stares him in the eyes and Momo tries his best to keep a straight face as he stares right back at him. He won't back down from this issue, not when his roommate's life is potentially at stake. (Momo doubts that Ai's life is in any actual danger, but it is the thought that counts and Ai looks absolutely miserable.) Eventually, another shiver runs over Ai's spine and he sighs, “Fine.”

 

“Good, then you should go to bed now,” Momo grabs onto Ai's shoulder and gets him to stand up, before slowly pushing him towards his bed. Ai looks at him as if Momo has suddenly grown another head and is about to protest, but Ai isn't the only one to be a defiant kid when they're sick and so Momotarou adopts the tone his mother uses whenever he'd been sick as a kid and refused to take his medicine.

 

“No buts, young man, off to bed,” he says, and much to Momo's surprise Ai complies and lets himself be tucked in under the covers. Momo runs his hand through Ai's bangs and places a goodnight kiss on the top of his head.

 

“Night, night, senpai,” Momo chants as he goes to turn off the lights.

 

“It's only ten,” Ai complains, “and a Saturday night?” and Momo shrugs as he touches his way through the dark back to their bed. “Guess it's good there's no practice tomorrow,” he replies.

 

“I'll be taking the top bunk this time, so you can rest,” Momo announces and climbs the ladder up to his bunk. He can hear Ai shuffle around in his bed.

 

“The top bunk _is_ your bunk in the first place, Momo,” Ai scoffs and Momo chooses to ignore it. It feels a little odd to be climbing up the ladder when Ai's lying in the bottom bunk right under his, when he could just slide in right next to him as they sometimes do. 

 

Momo reaches for his DS and turns it on, not feeling like going to bed just yet himself, but making sure to mute it all the same. If he wants Ai to get better, he'll have to make sure Ai gets his rest.

 

“You should turn on the lights, Momo, you'll ruin your eyes,” a voice looms up from the dark depths beneath his bunk and Momo can't help the grin that spreads across his face.

 

“Senpai should worry about his own health first,” he says.

 

It's quiet for a long while, but every now and then he can hear Ai shuffle and turn in his bed, until eventually that too ceases and he slides under his own covers, sleep pulling at his eyelids. 

 

***

 

“Where did you even get that?” Ai asks him the next morning when Momo presents him with a small bottle of medicine. Ai's only just awake and had breakfast and his forehead is clammy, his hair sticks up in all directions, and his pajama top is drenched.

 

“I remembered that Iwashimizu was sick a while back, so I asked him if he had anything that could help with a fever and... voila, here you go,” Momo answers, thinking back to how he'd ambushed Iwashimizu in the dorm cafeteria earlier that morning. “He hoards quite a bit of medicine in his room, it's like he has his own personal apothecary in there – says it's because his roommate gets sick a lot,” Momo thinks aloud and Ai scoffs.

 

“Much like we have our own collection of band aids thanks to you, I assume.”

 

“That's not fair! Senpai!” Momo complains but Ai ignores him in favor of reaching for the bottle of medicine.

 

“Two small spoonfuls, three times a day,” Momo chimes and hands Ai the spoon he'd prepared. Once he's taken the medicine, Momo ushers him into their bathroom and waits until Ai's showered and put on the new pair of pajamas Momo prepared, only to usher Ai back into his bed after.

 

“I don't want to go back to bed,” Ai complains but Momo will have none of it. “Sleep is important when you're sick,” he says and tucks Ai in before climbing back up to his top bunk. Every other while Momo will hang his head over the railing and the third time a soft smile tugs at his lips when he notices that Ai has dozed off. Momo visits the dormitory's cafeteria once more and when Ai wakes up around 3 in the afternoon, Momo's there and ready with a bowl of soup.

 

Ai eats it all without complaint and lets Momo sit at the foot side of his bed, lazily running his finger over the hollow of Ai's foot.

 

“Are you feeling better?” Momo asks and Ai looks up to meet his eyes before nodding, smiling reassuringly before eating another spoon of his soup.

 

“We shouldn't have gone swimming last week,” Momo says, looking down at Ai's feet as his finger slides over the hardened skin, “it was probably too early to swim outdoors just yet.” When he looks up, Ai is looking at him pointedly.

 

“I'm not sick because we went _swimming_ ,” he says. Momo can pick up on the resolute tone, that tone that doesn't leave room for discussion. But Momo insists, it was a pretty silly idea to go swimming outdoors already.

 

“I'm afraid that's _exactly_ why you're sick,” Momo tries to smile. Ai's foot gives him a soft kick.

 

“It's _not_ why I'm sick, Momo, alright? I'm not sick just because we went swimming!” 

 

Ai's voice sounds sharp, but when Momo looks back up he notices the soft etching of Ai's lips into a smile and he can't help a small grin himself.

 

“Alright.”

 

Momo reaches out a hand for Ai's empty bowl, hands him his medicine (“Two spoons!”) and leaves to take care of the dishes, only to return holding a book for Ai in his one hand, and his DS in the other and he settles back in his spot on the foot side of Ai's bed. They sit like that for a while, enjoying the silence as one reads and the other plays his games.

 

It's another hour or two before some toes nudge Momo's thigh, and Momo looks up only for Ai to slam his book shut and sigh that he's bored. Ai is halfway out of his bed when Momo drags him back down.

 

“You have to rest, senpai!” he exclaims and Ai huffs in annoyance.

 

“But I'm bored, Momo.”

 

Momo knows that rest is his senpai's best friend at the moment, but he also knows what it feels like to be stuck in bed and not being allowed to have fun. He's been sick when he was a kid plenty of times himself. He makes Ai promise he'll stay in bed whilst Momo searches around the room and returns to Ai's bedside with his toy soldiers.

 

“Let's play!” he declares and grins at Ai only to be met with an incredulous stare.

 

“Please?” he asks, and Ai reluctantly grabs for a toy at that. Momo tries not to bask in his victory, he's been trying to get Ai to play with him for weeks. “Thank you,” Momo murmurs and watches Ai return his smile with one of his own softer ones. As reluctant as Ai initially may have been, the two of them are immersed in the game in no time and all Momo's good intentions for getting his senpai some rest are out of the window in no time. Ai's soldier has soon driven Momo's into a corner and is forcing him to hand back the magic jewel of the ghost empress and Momo leaves to search his desk once more, all the whilst retaliating by trying to convince Ai's soldier to join his plot.

 

“I do not care for your deceitful way of life, only the paths of justice and truth are the ones I was meant to walk,” Ai declares with a dramatic tone and Momo huffs in feigned offense.

 

“Have it your way, Corporal Ai, I gave you a chance, but you shall not be spared!” Momo replies, his hands still scurrying around his desk until he finds the terrarium with the rhinoceros beetle he was looking for. “Bring in … _the Beast_!”

 

“The Beast?” Ai asks, just as Momo comes crashing back down next to the bed and drops the beetle on Ai's pillow on which the two toy soldiers are holding their face off. 

 

Instantly, Ai flails around, crying loudly and a pair of hands find themselves flying into Momo's face.

 

“Don't put him on my bed, Momo! How many times must I tell you?” Ai cries out and Momo can't help the laughter bubbling in his throat.

 

“Put him away, Momo! Put him away!”

 

Once Ai's managed to nearly blind him by accident, and Momo feels like he can't take any more laughter without hurting his stomach, he reaches for Beast and puts him away. When he returns to Ai's bedside, Ai has tears in his eyes and is looking at him angrily.

 

“You alright?” Momo asks tentatively, guilt rising up in his stomach all of a sudden, and Ai nods quietly, rubbing at his eyes before bursting out into a fit of giggles, which quickly turns to a bout of coughing and wheezing. 

 

“I hate being sick,” Ai announces once he's finished. Momo hums in agreement and slowly reaches out a hand to rub his thumb over Ai's jaw. 

 

“You're going to be alright though,” Momo says and Ai smiles back and nods.

 

There's this weird, queasy feeling in Momo's stomach and the back of his fingers gently run over Ai's cheek to caress him, softly. He doesn't really question it, how he feels, doesn't really want to question it either. But the next thing he knows he's leaning over Ai's bed and into Ai's lips and he's kissing Ai, again.

 

“You shouldn't,” Ai says between kisses, “you'll get sick too.”

 

“It's alright,” Momo says, “I'm invincible, really.”

 

Ai's kisses are always soft and sweet, even now, and Momo leans in a bit more, tries to feel that softness against his lips again and again and again. He can feel Ai smile into the kiss, but when he leans further into it he feels a hand press into his chest all the same and Momo stops.

 

“Alright, alright, I'll stop,” he grins. Ai's eyes are big and staring at him as if they're searching for something, uncertain, but his smile is warm and pleasant. “I just don't want you to get sick,” Ai says. Momo wants to say that he knows, that he can't find it in him to really care. But none of that changes the fact that Ai doesn't want him to get sick too, so he holds back and settles back onto the floor next to Ai's bed.

 

Right then an alarm sounds from his cell phone and Momo searches his pockets to silence the ringing. Once he's finished he walks over to his desk and returns with the bottle of medicine and a spoon. 

 

“It's time for your medicine again, I'll head down to the cafeteria and see if I can get us something for dinner in the meanwhile.”

 

Ai chuckles at that, “You do know I can take care of myself, right?” 

 

Momo flashes him another one of his grins.

 

“Just consider it as _me_ taking care of the swim club goods for a change.”

 

Momo can hear Ai's disgruntled complaints from a distance, until the door falls shut behind him and he sets out to find the both of them some dinner. 

 


	3. Swim Club Goods (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know you don't always have to do this when I hurt myself, right?” Momo asks one time when Ai's sitting on the floor, jamming Momo's right leg between his own and cleaning yet another scraped knee, this time achieved by playing soccer with some friends in the courtyard. Ai looks up at him and frowns. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day two: injuries
> 
> This was not what I had in mind when I started writing this but it's really late and I need sleep and I hope you enjoy this all the same.

It's nothing new for Momotarou to injure himself. Not with the way he gets up to all his crazy antics and concocts his little plans and ideas. Aiichirou scolding him is nothing new either. “Why can't you a bit more careful, Momo?” “I can't take you anywhere!”

 

But when Momotarou is nursing his so-many-th scab on his knee and Aiichirou sees him carelessly swabbing half of the bottle of antiseptic over the healing wound, he rescues the bottle from Momo's hold and pushes down on his shoulders, making him sit down on Ai's bed.

 

“Let me do it,” he says, before he cleans the wound and gets to work, plasters band-aid over it when he's done. This? Yes, this _is_ new. When Ai's finished, Momo thanks him flamboyantly with a bright smile and excited hand gestures. Ai eyes him curiously before he nods, says it's nothing and returns to his work. He has better things to do after all, such as preparing training schedules for several of the new swim club members.

 

Momo almost forgets it ever happened until he hits the side of the pool again a few weeks later, and amongst all of Uozumi and Minami's loud shouting to ask if he's okay, a hand reaches out to pull him up onto the edge of the swimming pool and sifts Momo's orange locks through its fingers, checking the bump on his head.

 

“You're an idiot sometimes,” the voice is soft, relieved, and Momo recognizes it as Ai's.

 

“Captain,” he starts, but then Ai taps his shoulder and is off to the other side of the pool to help the first years that had been calling out his name and Minami pushes him back into the water.

 

“Three more laps, Momo!” Uozumi grins and Momo slides back through the water. Captain Nitori's too busy to be occupied with every one of Momo's little bumps and bruises. But later that evening when Momo's preparing his laundry basket fingers glide back into his hair and over the little bump that is there. Momo startles and turns his head, to be met with Ai's inquiring eyes.

 

“It doesn't hurt, you know,” Momo grins his toothy grin, and Ai's shoulders ease, a smile stretches his lips.

 

“Good,” he says and returns to work on his own laundry basket, picking up clothes that lay astray on and around his bed. “Say Momo, have you seen that new anime yet?” Ai asks and when Momo answers, the questions Momo has are dropped and forgotten.

 

It becomes one of their many things. Whenever Momo hurts himself, Ai is there to scold him for it “Damn it, Momo,” he'll say, “Think before you act, think!” Momo will joke about it and Ai's resolve will break eventually because it's Momo and Momo's jokes are amazing (or at least that's the way Momo recites the story to himself). Ai is there to help him nurse the wounds too, when Momo's making a mess with the antiseptics or Ai deems the wound a certain degree of serious.

 

“You know you don't always have to do this when I hurt myself, right?” Momo asks one time when Ai's sitting on the floor, jamming Momo's right leg between his own and cleaning yet another scraped knee, this time achieved by playing soccer with some friends in the courtyard. Ai looks up at him and frowns. “I do.” Momo growls with frustration.

 

“I can take care of myself, you know that, right?” Momo asks, stressing his question and staring at Ai meaningfully. Once more Ai looks up at him with a confused look on his face, staring back at Momo questioningly. “You... don't like this?” he asks, face scrunched up in confusion. “I... I'll stop if you don't like it,” he says reassuringly and Momo backtracks at incredible speed.

 

“No!” Momo yells, panicking, except, “I mean yes! I mean – I don't know, no! Yes!” Ai just stares back at him expectantly and Momo takes a deep breath and leans back a little on the palms faced flat against his bed. “I don't _not_ like it,” he explains, eyes closed and brows knit together in concentration, “I just... don't want you to waste your time when I can do this myself.”

 

Ai smiles at that. “Just... consider it as my way of taking care of the Swim Club's Goods,” he says, face flushed and stuttering, as he sticks the band-aid he'd been holding to Momo's knee before announcing he needs a book from the library before it closes. Momo's not really sure how to feel about being considered a _good_ belonging to the swimming team, but if Ai doesn't see patching him up after he accidentally hurts himself again and again as a chore, Momo figures it's okay.

 

“Really,” Momo says when Ai is scrutinizing his elbow up close a next time, “I'm fine.” Ai frowns but lets Momo draw back his arm and sighs. “I just... As the Captain, I can't let you get hurt as a swim club member,” he explains and Momo smiles and reassures Ai he's okay.

 

The next time Ai's fingers rake through his hair to check his bump, Momo doesn't startle, but leans into the touch. “Do you check all of the swim club goods like this?” Momo asks, at one point, watching Ai tend to his bump as he gazes into the bathroom mirror. He never gets a reply.

 

The next time Ai tends to Momo, Momo feels like shit about it. Captain Nitori scolded him for the entire team to hear and with good reason, too. Momo skipped the warm ups because he came in late and halfway through practice his leg starts cramping. Captain Nitori sends him back to his dorm and Momo can't help but agree. He should've warmed up, damn it. When Ai returns from practice however, they somehow end up with Ai sitting on the floor, massaging Momo's leg.

 

“You should've warmed up,” he says and Momo nods, quite aware of his mistake.

 

“They work so hard for the team too,” Ai continues, pressing a kiss to Momo's calf. Momo shifts, unusually silent as Ai talks and rubs more salve into his skin.

 

“You need to stop getting hurt all the time,” Ai says and Momo scoffs. “It's not like I do it on purpose!”

 

Ai looks up pointedly, sharply. More so than usual. There are beginnings of tears in his eyes and Momo gulps and looks the other way, tilting his head just slightly.

 

“Fine,” he breathes.

 

“I'll try to be more careful.”


	4. Bathtub Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Ai and Momo have had their fair share of awkward encounters with one of the other's more personal things in this short while that they've been roommates. It's not that big of a deal, really. But when Momo rumbles through the mess on Ai's bed and finds a dirty magazine picturing some very naked, bulky men on the front cover instead of the usual soft feminine curves Momo's used to running into... Well, his jaw does drop to the floor, and he does look twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day three: momo finds ai's porn
> 
> I'm rather happy with how this chapter turned out. Please do enjoy! :3

It's not that Momo necessarily enjoys snooping through his roommate's things; it's just that since they've started rooming there's no telling where his side of the room begins and where it ends, much less Ai's, and with a big test coming up on Wednesday he really needs to find his biology notes. And a pen, maybe. It's almost as if their belongings magically mixed together into one big pile of chaos whilst Momo and Ai were asleep one night and that from that moment on neither Ai nor Momo had the resolve to sort through their mess.

 

To be completely honest, it's not as if they particularly mind and haven't learned to live with it in peace and quiet. It's just one of the many hazards of putting two very sloppy, slipshod boys in one room for an extended period of time. Momo likes to believe they have learned to work around it, after several occasions where something of theirs went missing and many cries of woe were heard. Sometimes Ai will find one of Momo's socks amongst his laundry and hang it over Momo's bed railing, other times Momo will stumble upon one of Ai's books on his desk and hand it back later.

 

They have _definitely_ learned to work around it. … Alright, maybe Momo has more so than Ai, but they make it work.

 

Sometimes it's a bit more difficult to than other times. Both Ai and Momo have had their fair share of awkward encounters with one of the other's more personal things in this short while that they've been roommates. It's not that big of a deal, really. But when Momo rumbles through the mess on Ai's bed and finds a dirty magazine picturing some very naked, bulky men on the front cover instead of the usual soft feminine curves Momo's used to running into... Well, his jaw does drop to the floor, and he does look twice.

 

It's not as if Momo doesn't know that Ai and himself have kissed on several occasions – he was there, no need to remind him; but for some reason his brain didn't register... this. Ai is into men. Judging from the amount of dirty magazines featuring women Momo has run into before, maybe Ai is into both boys and girls. Who knows? A much more important matter is that Momo had believed no topic was left taboo between the two of them anymore. Not after the amount of dirty magazines they had exchanged over time. (Momo had been very enthusiastic, Ai a blushing and stammering mess worthy to challenge the current state of their room for the ambitious title of “Royal Mess.”)

 

But the mischievous look in the eyes of one of the magazine's cover boys and the coy hand splayed on his partner's chest suggest otherwise.

 

Momo's finger swipes over the page, down the cover boy's chiseled abs, and he can't say he's not the tiniest bit intrigued. In fact, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't fascinated by the Badi magazine he currently holds in his hands. So he opens the magazine and flicks through the pages curiously until he finds a picture he likes. He settles on one with a young man sitting on his knees in a bathtub, a bright smile on his face as he runs his hands over his wet hair and shows the audience his well defined chest and arms. A happy trail drags Momo's eye downwards, only to be met with the sight of white foam covering the man's lower body teasingly.

 

If someone was to ask, Momo would answer that he thought the young man to be quite attractive. There was something playful about the picture, something that made him want to look a little while longer. Momo tries to picture, from tiny bits and pieces he'd seen in the locker room before and after practice, what it would be like if the man in the picture were Ai. His body would be more slender, his arms less defined but no less attractive. There would be no happy trail fuzz either, but there _would_ be that ridiculously eye-catching beauty mark on his hipbone. _And_ the one on his cheek.

 

If it were Ai posing he'd look less (intentionally) playful too. Momo bets his cheeks would be warmed by a red blush, creeping all the way up to his ears. Ai would act more bashful about it too, exuding a shy and sweet allure, different from the boy in the picture. The image is slowly coming together in his head and Momo shifts uncomfortably, trying to take his attention off the idea of a sexy Ai in a bathtub. He finds himself wondering if Ai thinks about him this way too instead – if sweet senpai Ai ever pictures Momo instead of the models depicted in the magazines – and surprises himself by _wanting_ Ai to look at him that way.

 

Like magic clockwork, the door to their room opens and his Royal Mess'esty arrives. Momo snaps the magazine shut and turns his head in time to see Ai freeze in the midst of the doorway.

 

“Is that my...?” Ai stutters, eyes wide with what Momo recognizes as that trademark label of horror that only Ai can conjure upon his features.

 

“No?” Momo says, “I don't know – maybe? Yes?”

 

Ai closes his eyelids and takes a deep breath and Momo sees the color spread over Ai's cheeks, promptly reminding him of the sweet, shy bathing Ai he'd been picturing just moments earlier. Momo thinks he may have to take a seat to calm down.

 

“Can you please drop it?” Ai asks, still stammering. (Stammering in that same way Momo can imagine he would when he'd ask not to look his way, trying to hide behind the foam and _damn it Momo needs to really stop doing this_.) Momo startles, dropping the magazine on Ai's bed as if it were suddenly too hot to touch. He turns to face Ai and masters something akin to a smile. Hopefully. “Dropped it.”

 

Ai nods and enters the room, fidgeting nervously as he reaches for the magazine and tries to hide it away in one of his drawers.

 

“What were you looking for in my bed in the first place?” Ai asks and Momo explains the curious mystery of his missing biology notes and the impending doom awaiting him if he cannot find them to study before his test on Wednesday. Ai helps him search for them and finds them between one of his many piles of books on their desks moments later.

 

**

 

It's a few weeks later when Ai cleans his messy bed and finds a Barazoku magazine tucked under his pillow, a sticky note attached to the cover reading “to senpai!”

 

“Momo?” Ai sighs, in the way a man who's seen too much would, in the way someone haunted by desperation would, in the way someone who'd say 'we talked about this, Momo' would; and Momo sticks up his head above the railing of the top bunk. “Yes, senpai?”

 

“Would you please stop buying me these magazines?”

 


	5. I Just Like His Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without a doubt, Momo thinks, one of the best things about living with Ai is the plethora of expressive reactions he seems to pull from the other boy on a daily basis. And it's not because Momo has been paying close attention (except he totally has), but boy, does Momo have his favorites.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day four: reactions
> 
> someone stop me

“So what's your favorite thing about the Captain?” Tooru asks during one of their biology classes. Momo's seated right next to him, in the back of the classroom and he startles at the question. Hmm. Now that's a difficult question to answer.

 

There is Ai's hardworking and stubborn spirit, which Momo admires a great deal - and there is Ai's gentleness too, how he takes care of Momo even when Momo gets a little overexcited from time to time. There are Ai's kisses too, sweet or hot or salty with tears. They're all kisses that knock the breath from his lungs and bring heat to his belly. But without a doubt, Momo thinks, one of the best things about living with Ai is the plethora of expressive reactions he seems to pull from the other boy on a daily basis. And it's not because Momo has been paying close attention (except he totally has), but boy, does Momo have his favorites. But as for which one is his _most_ favorite? Momo would need a bit of time to think on it.

 

First, there _is_ that look of absolute terror sometimes, that spreads over Ai's entire face and makes his eyes bulge wide, or his mouth hang open with shock. Like that time Momo had set some of his beetles loose in their room and Ai returned from his classes only to open the door and be met with a room full of creepy crawlies. That sheer look of horror and disbelief that made light shine down upon Ai and an imaginary choir sing in the distance the first time Momo laid his eyes upon it and decide that yes, _this_ was the senpai he would be testing his pranks on.

 

Of course, there is also the long list of reactions that involve Ai's crying face. Whether it be loud bawling that have Aiichirou running through the halls,like that one time Momo chased him with that frog (fun times, although he honestly hadn't meant any harm); or soft teardrops gathering in the sides before Ai throws his arms around Momo and buries his face in the crook of Momo's neck, like when Momo says something surprisingly touching and Ai's impressed, or when they held that movie night and Ai had to cry about Marley, the dog, dying. Momo had rubbed a few tears from his eyes as well, but no one would ever need to know.

 

Thirdly, there is Ai's stern look too. The unimpressed quirk of the brow he gives Momo when the redhead makes lame jokes and goofs off during practice, the serious look in his eyes and tutting of his lips Ai does whenever Momo asks for help with his Japanese literature and then proceeds to try and weasel himself out of Ai's improvised tutoring sessions. Thinking about serious Ai or the way he gives orders during practice, or that no-nonsense stance of his when Momo pushes his antics a bit too far, makes shivers run down Momo's spine.

 

Ai can be surprisingly intimidating when he wants to be, and Momo can never get out from under his scolding.

 

Another favorite expression of Momo's is when Ai smiles. You see, Ai has many smiles and Momo loves them all. There is that shy smile pulling at Ai's lips whenever Ai is embarrassed or doesn't quite know how to express his feelings. There is that small quirk of his lips whenever Momo's messing around their room gets a bit too rough or loud and Ai's supposed to be mad but he can't help a smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth. Another one of Ai's smiles is the bright smile, the one that he excitedly gives Momo when they meet in the hallways in between classes, the smile he smiles when Momo offers to help clean up after practice.

 

Momo's second most favorite smile is the one on Ai's face when they're playing on Ai's bed and Momo's fingers have strayed to tickle Ai's sides. Ai's giggles boom throughout the room and a smile brightens his face as he begs Momo for “no more.” But Momo's most favorite smile would have to be that open-mouth, teeth showing, eyes sparkling smile that Ai reserves for those moments when he's happiest and makes Momo see flowers bloom in the background.

 

Like that time Momo took Ai up to the rooftop to gaze at the stars for his birthday and Ai's eyes lit up like Momo had never seen them do before (sparkling so bright, bright bright, scintillating and gleaming and Momo could've sworn there were actual stars in Ai's eyes and he might have spent the remainder of the evening staring at Ai's face instead of up at the sky, searching for constellations, but who's going to prove it, huh?) and his smile stretched so wide and genuine that Momo's chest tightened with affection. Out of all Ai's smiles, how could he possibly choose only one favorite?

 

Not to mention that recently there is something else Momo had come to like as much, if not more, than Ai's smiles: _Ai's blushing_. Nothing fills Momo with more joy than when he leans in for a quick peck and kisses Ai's lips and he can hear a silent 'oomph' and feel the heat from Ai's cheeks against his own. Nothing is more adorable than hearing Ai stutter and stammer as he asks Momo for another kiss and how his blush slowly creeps up his ears and down his neck as he tries to get the words out. Absolutely nothing. Except for maybe when Momo presses a kiss upon _that spot_ on Ai's cheek and it becomes dusted with pinks and reds.

 

But he can't really tell Tooru he's been kissing their captain and sucking his face off, so he'll have to settle on something else. He mindlessly presses his lips together and rubs his chin in deep thought. From the side, he can hear Tooru chuckle.

 

“So how long, exactly, have you been mooning over the Captain?”

 

“A while,” Momo replies before he can spot his own mistake. He jumps in his seat and turns to look at Tooru in shock, his eyes wide and panicky. Tooru's smirking back at him, a look of pure mischief on his face.

 

“So you like the Captain?” Tooru asks, his bemused grin spreading wide across his features. Momo reaches for his pen case, fumbling through it to keep busy.

 

“What?” he sweats nervously, “No? _No, no, no_. I don' – I mean, I'm not _mooning_ over the Captain,” Momotarou says defensively, stuttering just a bit. (Why is he stuttering anyways? Momo never stutters.)

 

“I fucking knew it. You _always_ look like a lovesick puppy when he's around,” Tooru smirks up at him, ignoring Momo's protests.

 

“I don't _like_ the Captain, I just like his face and his sparkly eyes, that's all – what do you _mean –_ I _don't_ look like a _lovesick puppy_ , more like a dashing prince charming – I mean, I don't look like a dashing – I mean - _argh_!” Momo yells, jumping up from his seat and drawing the teacher's attention their way as loud laughter bursts from Tooru's lips.

 

“Is there a problem, Mister Mikoshiba?” the teacher drawls, and Momo sighs, shaking his head no as the teacher scolds the two of them.

 

(When that night Ai will crawl into his lap and kiss him so hard that they'll end up breathy and sweaty, Momo will think that he doesn't mind looking like a lovesick puppy every time Ai's around, as long as he gets to be the one to kiss him like this and see the color spread across his cheeks.)


	6. Captain Ai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So how’s the Captain thing going for you?” the boy on the other end of the video chat asks, sharp teeth flashing as he smiles. Ai snorts.

“So how’s the Captain thing going for you?” the boy on the other end of the video chat asks, sharp teeth flashing as he smiles. Ai snorts.

 

“As well as captaining any other horde of energetic teens would,” Ai replies, shrugging noncommittally. If there was any conclusion Ai could draw from his few months of being the swim club’s Captain, it was that the job was hard and that he had gained an infinite amount of more respect for Rin and Seijuurou as he did the job himself, which was something he had considered impossible up until recently, and that he hoped the members considered him half as good a captain as either of his two predecessors.

 

Ai watches Rin’s face scrunch up into a worried frown. “They’re not giving you a hard time, are they?” he asks and Ai chuckles, shaking his head.

 

“No more than I can handle, I promise,” he replies. Sure, they have their games and goof off every once in a while, playing jokes on each other, but they know when the jokes aren’t appreciated and when Ai means business. Besides, Ai likes to think he’s managed to establish himself as a kind of authority figure by now. He knows for a fact that his scolding isn’t taken lightly and that one of his well poised looks encourages members to focus.

 

No, although sometimes the swim club members (mainly Momo) try to test the true ability of his nerves of steel, the real difficulty of being a captain lies in coaching the lot of them, rather than keeping them in line. Ai spends the majority of his free time thinking up personalized training schedules and following the progress the members are making in one of his many detailed spreadsheets. Sometimes, he even calls up Sousuke for advice and a second opinion when he isn’t sure what training would suit what member’s regimen best.

 

Rin’s features settle back to a soft smile at that. “Sousuke tells me you’ve been working hard, that you have neat, little spreadsheets and everything,” he says. Ai hums his confirmation.

 

“Yeah, it’s a lot of work,” Ai nods, “but it’s been paying off! A lot of the members’ times have improved and still are. Just two days ago Uozumi beat his own record a third time, been making Momo feel the heat of the competition for sure.”

 

“How’s that rascal Momo been anyways?”

 

“He’s been a lot of help, actually,” Ai smiles, “he always helps me lock up after practice and assisted coordinating the joint events with Iwatobi a few times.”

 

Not to mention that Momo’s always hovering over his shoulder whenever Ai’s up late working on his spreadsheets, reminding him to catch some rest as he toys with Ai’s silver locks. He’s a lot of indirect help too, Ai now realizes. Ai wonders when he started burrowing himself into Momo’s arms instead of his blankets, looking for comfort and safety whenever he’s feeling particularly insecure. It’s so easy to just be Ai whenever Momo’s in the room.

 

Momo has a way of complicating things too however. He’ll wheedle kisses from Ai’s lips in the locker room or some dark corner whenever they’re the only ones around, even though anyone could walk in any moment. Sometimes he’ll pry Ai’s hand when they’re walking back to their room after practice and entwine their fingers. As of late, Momo has taken to touching Ai around the other swim club members too, like it’s nothing and kissing in hidden corners is something casual friends do on a regular basis.

 

Sure, Momo’s always been very touchy, but now he’ll place a palm on Ai’s lower back, or rub his thumb against Ai’s shoulders and Ai will have to do his darn best not to flush bright red in public and hope that none of the members catch on. Ai will have to act as if he isn’t in any way affected when all he really wants to do is kiss, right then and there at that exact time on that exact spot, until Momo’s lips are bright red and swollen and he looks at Ai with that glassy, mind blown look in his bright, golden eyes.

 

Sometimes Ai worries they’re in too deep, in this not-dating kind of dating thing they’ve been doing for a while, but he doesn’t like to dwell on it.

 

“He better,” Rin grumbles, returning Ai’s thoughts to the present. They talk some more about how Rin’s training has been going and Ai’s excited to hear all about Rin’s adventures in Australia. That is until Momo walks in and Ai’s face lights up like he’s seeing the sun for the first time, the only time, and he doesn’t mind it blinding his eyes.

 

“Is that Rin senpai?” Momo asks as he enters the view of the camera and continues to yell excitedly when his suspicions are confirmed. “Rin senpai!”

 

Ai lets Momo and Rin steer the conversation from then on, happily listening to the two bicker back and forth until Rin announces he has a video chat appointment to meet with the Iwatobi’s and the two of them wave him goodbye.

 

“How was the study group?” Ai turns to ask Momo as he closes his laptop and puts it aside. Momo dramatically crashing on Ai’s bed and groaning loudly is the best answer Ai figures he’s going to get.

 

“Heeyy,” he pokes at Momo’s cheeks, “don’t you fall asleep in my bed with your shoes on again.” Momo opens one eyelid to check how dead set Ai is on this and reluctantly moves to pull of his shoes before falling back upon the bed, grabbing hold of Ai’s wrist and taking him down with him.

 

“I can’t, Momo, I have stuff to do!” Ai complains, as if he isn’t leaning into Momo’s touch and letting Momo roll him over to his side.

 

“Just a little while,” Momo says, and so Ai sneaks a little closer still. Just a little while won’t hurt.

 

Sometimes Ai worries that they’re in too deep, in this not-dating kind of dating they have going on. So when Momo hugs him close, Ai burrows deeper into the crook of Momo’s neck and lets his eyes fall shut. Just a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think that Rin doesn’t have a hunch or that half of the swimming team is not aware and does not leave the locker room suspiciously early to give them alone time, you’re wrong.


	7. Kissing F(r)iends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever since that first kiss on that one snowy night, it becomes a habit, a routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day six: kisses and cuddles
> 
> happy valentine's everyone!

Ever since that first kiss on that one snowy night, it becomes a habit, a routine.

 

At first it’s just sometimes, at night when they’re wasting time in their room and Momo reaches for Ai’s fingers and asks if it’s okay and Ai will let him. Time and time again Ai lets him. Their kisses are tentative and careful, slowly touching the boundaries the other set up and mapping what’s okay territory and what’s off limits. Like with most things Momo’s a fast learner and he picks up quickly on what little things make Ai grasp unto his shirt in that way that makes his heart race.

 

Slowly it turns into a little more. Ai starts reaching for Momo’s wrist in the morning, before he leaves for class, and presses a kiss to his lips. A quick peck followed by that shy little smile Momo will find his mind subconsciously returning to every time he spaces off in class. When they haven’t seen each other for a while, Momo will lean down and take the time to press his lips to Ai’s softly, just for a split second. “Hey you,” the kiss says, “haven’t seen you around in a while.”

 

Whilst the kisses increase in frequency, they change in nature too.

 

‘Just’ kisses turn into something tender, other times they’re something heated too. Ai’s kisses slowly start to stray from the beaten track and spiral down Momo’s neck, exploring the crook and it sends Momo keening, his voice drumming against Ai’s lips and Ai draws the sound out of him as much as he wants to hear it. Momo’s hands start wandering too, leading a life of their own as he licks into Ai’s mouth and his fingers crawl under the hem of Ai’s shirt, gently stroking the soft skin of Ai’s belly. Ai’s breath will hitch and Momo will retreat, pressing their foreheads together. “Hey,” he’ll ask, “you okay?”

 

Morning, noon, night – more and more they’ll spend the moments alone gasping into each other’s mouth and crawling closer. Ai wonders when something that started so innocent turned into something so serious. Maybe, he thinks, it’s never been innocent. Not from the moment Momo waltzed into their room for the first time and they started taking baby steps towards the friendship that lead them here.

 

Momo doesn’t seem to mind whatever they are, but Ai worries.

 

“Momo, what are we?” he asks one time, leaning back as he interrupts one of their Saturday afternoon kisses (this one slow and simple, a sweet interlude to a busy day). Momo frowns. “What do you mean?”

 

“Us,” Ai scrunches his brows together, motioning between the two of them, “kissing. What are we?” Momo straightens where he’s sitting.

 

“Just friends, right?” Ai continues, before Momo can even presume to give him an answer. “Right?” Ai asks, eyes fixed on Momo, who’s gaping wide at him in confusion and thinking. Ai worries. He doesn’t want to get his feelings hurt. For just a second it looks as if Momo’s going to say something and Ai watches intently, but then he smiles instead.

 

“Yeah,” he nods, sheepishly. “We’re friends. Friends who just so happen to kiss sometimes.”

 

Ai mulls it over carefully and nods. As long as they’re just kissing, just friends, it’s fine. It’s good. So he crawls back closer and draws Momo in for another kiss. It doesn’t matter how his belly feels like exploding fireworks when their lips meet. Not at all.

 

Days pass and before long Valentine’s around the corner. Momo asks him out.

 

“No – not like a _date_ , or anything,” he laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head and glancing at the wall as if it’s particularly more interesting today than any other day, unsure of what to do with his other hand so waving it around in the air with big gestures. “Nothing special, ju - just as friends.”

 

“As friends?” Ai smiles and Momo nods his confirmation, grinning wide.

 

“Yeah, friends.” “That’d be lovely.”

 

They don’t do anything for Valentine’s. They don’t kiss or hold hands all day long. But they do go to this charming, little coffee shop in town to spend time in the other’s company.

 

They don’t do anything for Valentine’s. Except their orders come with a piece of chocolate and Momo nonchalantly offers Ai his. Maybe Ai blushes. Maybe Ai accepts, ignoring the small smile Momo’s trying his best to repress.

 

They don’t do anything for Valentine’s. They don’t kiss or hold hands all day long, not even when they’ve returned to their rooms. They just talk and laugh and spend time together; buy a can of soda each from the machine in the dorms’ common room and chat until the early hours and play video games, relaxing on Ai’s bed, sipping from their drink. When it gets a little cold they crawl under the covers, just talking.

 

Momo falls asleep like that too, and Ai sighs, crawling closer to the warm body beside him.

 

“Momo,” he whispers, receiving an inquiring grunt as his answer. “You’re in my bed,” he says, annoyed. A hand reaches for his own and entwines their fingers, tugging Ai closer.

 

“Just go to sleep, Ai,” Momo mumbles and Ai sighs but relents, not really minding that much after all.

 

They share a bed for the first time that night. And it’s pleasant and warm, and in no time Ai and Momo make it another habit of theirs too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close to it ending now! Hope you're all still enjoying this. :3


	8. When It Snows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It's freezing,” Ai shivers, just as Momo exclaims, “It's snowing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day seven: snow day

“Let's go outside!” Momo yells, bouncing from one foot to the other excitedly as he watches out the window. Ai doesn't turn his head from where he's sitting behind his desk, reading; lest Momo's puppy eyes change his mind.

 

“It's cold outside,” he says matter-of-factly.

 

“It's _snowing,_ ” Momotarou corrects him, motioning towards the window as if it will convince his roommate... who's not even looking his way. “I'm not going outside, Momo,” Ai says, the tone of his voice warning Momo not to push the subject. He's busy.

 

“Senpai, _please..._ ” Momo whines, still impatiently bouncing on his legs. Ai sighs, turning to face his underclassmen and meeting with Momo's pleading face.

 

“And end up sick in bed tomorrow, there's no way I'm going out– ”

 

“ _Please_ ,” Momo tries again, and he's looking at Ai with that ridiculous grin and that expectant, eager look and honestly Ai doesn't understand why Momo so desperately wants Ai out there with him but how can he say no after that. Within ten minutes they end up outside after a blurry haze of dressing up for the cold weather. Ai's pretty sure he remembers that it was Momo who wrapped his scarf around his neck for him earlier.

 

Once they make it outside, Momo laughs and Ai tucks his hands in his pockets as he watches Momo's breath freeze in the cold air.

 

“It's _freezing,_ ” Ai shivers, just as Momo exclaims, “It's _snowing_!” Ai can't help his chuckling, leave it to the swim club's biggest kid to get excited over snow.

 

“You want to make a snow angel?” Momo turns to him excitedly and before Ai can reject the idea, Momo's already laying down in the snow, waving his hands and legs about. Ai figures he'll look more silly standing there doing nothing and so he relents, following Momo's example.

 

Before long however, Ai has forgotten about the cold and how the snow melts on his face and makes his skin burn. His clothes are wet, but it doesn't matter, because he's hiding behind a tree trying not to get hit as he prepares a new stack of snowballs for himself. Momo texted some of the other swim club members and now they're all caught up in a big snowball fight, each man for himself.

 

One snowball in hand, the others in his other arm he moves from behind the tree to take aim, only to be met with a snowball to his face and Momo doubling over as he laughs. Wiping the snow from his eyes, Ai makes for Momo and stuffs a snowball inside his jacket. Revenge is sweet and Ai ends up doubling over himself as Momo's laughter subsides and he starts wiggling hilariously to get the snow out from under his clothes.

 

Ai's gaze falls upon a figure behind Momo, and he can see Nakagawa approach them from afar. Ai reaches for Momo's hand, drags him behind the tree with him.

 

“Senpai that was mean!” Momo complains but Ai shushes him.

 

“We've got company,” Ai nods his head towards the side and Momo quickly turns to look from behind their shelter.

 

“How many snowballs have you got left?” Momo asks.

 

“Four, you?”

 

“Two, lend me one?” and Ai hands one over.

 

“When do you want to strike?” Ai asks, but Momo holds up his hand to shush him. Ai leans over Momo's hunched figure, trying to get a view of how much closer Nakagawa has approached their hiding spot. He's close, looking around to see if anyone else is in the vicinity and Ai starts getting anxious.

 

“Now,” Momo says, without warning, tugging Ai along from behind the tree before they shower Nakagawa in snowballs. Nakagawa ends up on the ground, staring up at them heatedly and promising revenge as he works on a new set of snowballs for himself. Ai and Momo laugh hard, until they notice more figures running at them. It seems that in the meantime Minami and Uozumi had noticed the showdown between the three of them from afar and saw their chance. One man down and two without ammo.

 

Momo closes his fingers around Ai's wrist as he laughs giddily and pulls the other boy along.

 

“Come on,” he says, dragging Ai with him as they make a run for it and leave Nakagawa to the wolves, “let's find ourselves a good base camp.”

 

When the band of teenagers say their goodbyes later that evening and retreat to the warmth of the dorms, hours have passed and every player claims they were the one to win. Inside their room it is warm and cozy and Ai happily changes out of his wet clothes into his pajamas, toweling his hair dry. He settles down on the floor, sitting with his back against the heater and smiling softly when Momo takes the seat next to him.

 

“See, that was fun, right?” Momo grins, having proved himself, and Ai finds himself nodding. It was fun, he had to give Momo that. Ai turns to look at Momo and frowns when he sees Momo's wet hair.

 

“I wonder if you'll still be saying that tomorrow, when you're sick in bed,” he reaches for his towel and drops it on Momo's head unceremoniously, ignoring Momo's protests and objections that it'll dry eventually. Ai carefully towels the orange mess until it's dry... or as close to dry as it's going to get. Momo thanks him despite his earlier protests and Ai waves the thanks off, says it's just because should Momo fall ill, he might too. Besides, they can't have one of the swim club goods in bed with a cold, can they?

 

A beeping sound distracts them from their bickering and Ai realizes it is his cellphone. Momo settles back against the heater as well, glad to find that it isn't too hot and leans back into it. He glances towards Ai, who's typing away busily.

 

“It's Nagisa,” Ai explains, feeling the weight of Momo's gaze upon him, “wants to set up a joint practice in three weeks.”

 

A small smile spreads on Momo's lips and he crawls a little closer to Ai, trying to sneak a peek at what Ai's typing. There's a weird feeling in his gut, one that pulls at him and makes him think crazy things. Things that he really shouldn't be thinking. It's making him want to do things.

 

“Aiichirou,” he finds himself saying, before he can help it, nudging Ai with his elbow.

 

“Yeah?” Ai turns his head and Momo leans in, colliding his lips with Ai's more roughly than he had intended to. Ai thinks it's a mistake at first, until he feels Momo press closer and he realizes that Momo's kissing him. Momo's _kissing_ him. Somehow, amidst all the panicking thoughts going through his head, Ai doesn't stop him and leans a little closer into the kiss instead.

 

They end up with Momo's hand against the back of Ai's neck, bringing them back together each time they take a second to take a breath and try to regain control over their haywire pulses. Ai's hand is pressed against Momo's chest, guiding the kiss along his pace.

 

When they break away Ai's eyes open wide and Momo's breathing is a little harsh, his cheeks and neck flushed red. It is Momo who breaks their eye contact first, lowering his head to stare at his knees with sudden fascination and a new found sense of modesty. Ai chuckles at his embarrassment. They settle back against the heater and Ai closes his eyes, trying to catch his breath and letting the silence spread between them.

 

“That was nice,” Momo says. Ai nods. “Very.”

 

A finger slides across the back of Ai's hand he's leaning onto, and Ai turns his head to look at Momo.

 

“You – you want to try that again?”

 

Ai meets Momo's grin with one of his own. 

 

“Maybe.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so this brings my momotori ficlet for momotori week to an end. I hope everyone enjoyed the ride. A lot of this was very new to me, but I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you all enjoyed reading it too. Happy momotori week, everyone! :3 
> 
> This fic was writting in reverse chronology, so if you want to read it in a chronological order you can read it from back to front if you so wish and end with the confession prompt of day one.


End file.
